Second Chances And What Was Done With Them
by Priya Ashok
Summary: Albus Dumbledore is given a second change when he is sent back in time. This is what he does with it. This time. Please read and review. Thank you.


The wonderful world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

_**Second Chances And What Was Done With Them**_

"Severus … please …'

Snape raised his hand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

The green light hit Dumbledore on the chest and he was blasted into the air, falling slowly backwards … falling, falling until, thump, he landed with a groan.

Dumbledore opened his eyes and looked around. A gasp and a rather unmanly shriek escaped him. He was sprawled out ungainly on the floor of his office, Fawkes looking inquiringly at him. Dumbledore looked carefully around him. It _was_ his office; there was no doubt about that. The portraits of the past Headmasters and Headmistress all looked back at him, some inquiringly, as if they believed Dumbledore had good reason to lie so untidily on the floor and others, smirking at him for the same reason.

But Dumbledore was not amused; he was baffled; the last he remembered was being killed by Severus, Severus's face pained and repulsed by what he had agreed to do for the Headmaster and by doing so, take on his own head the repercussions of the murder of Albus Dumbledore. The Wizarding World would hate him, next only to Voldemort. He sighed; he really did not know what he was doing back in his office, when he should have by all rights been setting off on his next great adventure and being there in his portrait for Severus and Harry at their most difficult time, which was, from the moment he died until Harry defeated Voldemort. Instead he was here on the floor of his office. He sighed and looked around again. Maybe this was the afterlife, when he gasped again. He had seen the calendar that hung on one of his walls, and the date read June 30 1987.

Dumbledore had somehow, astonishingly, landed in the past; he did not know how it happened, but there it was. He stared stunned at the calendar for a while, before shaking his head once and standing up briskly, when he remembered his hand, he really did not know how he could have forgotten the pain he had carried with him all year. His hand was perfect and he was feeling fine, healthy. He turned to the portraits and began asking them questions about the past, especially Voldemort. He listened to them and understood that everything that had happened in his timeline had happened here; he was not in an alternate dimension, he had really travelled to the past, when Severus cast the killing curse upon him; he wondered whether the curse in his arm reacted in some bizarre way with the killing curse and resulted in this. But for whatever reason, he was grateful.

Snapping his fingers, he called his elf.

"What can Lippy be doing for you Headmaster?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Hello Lippy. Can you please get me all the back copies of the Daily Prophet for the last 50 years and something to eat?"

"I's can."

A minute later, his office was overflowing with Daily Prophets, all neatly stacked up to the ceiling. Dumbledore started on them, thankful that it was the holidays and that no one would miss him, if he did not attend meals for a day. He picked up random papers and perused them, checking whether the news items printed in there was as he remembered it. It was. Dumbledore did not stop all through the day and long into the night; he kept flicking his wand for a newspaper here and then from the other side, reading the headlines in some and snippets of big news from others.

Headlines such as YOU-KNOW-WHO VANQUISHED! HARRY POTTER, BOY-WHO-LIVED, DEFEATS YOU-KNOW-WHO! And Crouch Jr is a Death Eater! The Longbottoms Tortured! Black sent to Azkaban for betraying the Potters to You-Know-Who! Screamed at him.

He read through a few of them.

_Harry Potter vanquished You-Know-Who yesterday! No one knows what happened at Godric's Hollow, where the Potters were living, but You-Know-Who found a way to break through the protections at the Potters home, with the help of Sirius Black, who betrayed the Potters to the Dark Lord Voldemort. He killed James and Lily Potter, but was vanquished by little Harry Potter, who is the only wizard in the history of magic to have lived through the killing curse._

_Barty Crouch Sr today punished his only son by sentencing him to Azkaban for torturing the Longbottoms. The trials of the Death Eaters have been taking place the last few days and many have been convicted by the Ministry of Magic. Death Eaters like Bellatrix, Rudolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, will now live permanently at Azkaban for their crimes against Wizarding Society._

Dumbledore patiently read newspapers all day and long into the night. Then, calling his elf, he sent the newspapers away and went to bed and slept soundly. He slept all through breakfast the next day and woke up just before lunch. He woke up all disoriented, then he beamed hugely. He had been given a second chance and he was going to take it, making fewer mistakes this time and ensuring Voldemort's permanent defeat sooner and with less casualties.

He dressed quickly in scarlet robes with little golden snitches flying around and hummed as he left his quarters and walked into and out of his office towards the Great Hall. He entered the Great Hall and swept inside and felt immeasurably glad as he saw his staff, especially Severus. This was another boy who would not suffer as much this time; he'd make sure of it.

"Good afternoon Albus!" Minerva chirped, smiling at him.

"Good afternoon Minerva!" he beamed and sat down and soon was drawn into a discussion about Gamp's Law. Severus was sitting on the other side of him, listening to both of them silently. The other Professors listened in, smiling occasionally at Minerva McGonagall's fierce arguments against Dumbledore's calm rebuttals. Once he finished lunch, he bid his goodbyes, "Going for a nice walk, Minerva, Severus, see you later," and he breezed out.

Once he stepped out of the gates of Hogwarts, Dumbledore cast a notice-me-not charm upon himself, spun on the spot and apparated to Surrey and appeared on the edge of the Privet Drive. He ambled along the street until he came to No. 4 and canceling his charms, he walked up to the door and knocked.

"Yes?" Petunia Dursley opened the door with a smile, which disappeared the moment she set eyes on him. "Whaa? Whaa?" she took a deep breath. "Who are you?"

"I am Headmaster Dumbledore, Petunia." She blushed deeply. "I wish to talk to you for a moment. May I come in?"

She led in silently and closed the door. She had never met him, only corresponded to him through letters and she was scared for some reason. Dumbledore looked pleasant, but she knew that those types could be unpredictable. Trying not to sneer or offend at the garish robes he was wearing, she led him to the hall, where Dumbledore flicked his eyes for a second at the cupboard beneath the stairs before he sat down.

"I wish to speak to Harry. Could you call him for me?"

Petunia almost hyperventilated. She glanced in panic at the cupboard beneath the stairs and gulped. "He's gone out. You can come back tomorrow and I'll have him ready for you." She managed to say disdainfully, though she could not quite pull it off as well as she would have liked to.

"Ah!" smiled Dumbledore. "No worries, I'll make myself inconspicuous and stay here until he returns. I have nothing else to do." He said and without much ado, he closed his eyes and started humming softly to himself.

Petunia Dursley panicked even more. "You can't stay here."

"Of course I can my dear! I promise I'll stay only until Harry returns and then both of us will be on our way." Petunia wrung her hands in dismay and stared at Dumbledore in fear, wishing she could bodily remove him, when the door to the cupboard beneath the stairs opened ever so slowly and a small head peeped out in disbelief. Someone wanted to see him and then take him away. It was too good to be true to the little boy who had been wishing for just that thing as long as he knew and remembered.

Dumbledore opened his eyes and turned to the cupboard beneath the stairs and smiled widely, though his eyes if one were to observe closely were filled with sadness. "Hello!" he said looking at the little boy who could not have been more than five, though Dumbledore knew on good authority he was seven.

Petunia flinched and glared at her nephew who had peeped and gave himself and her away, making her words a lie, even though she had an awful feeling that Dumbledore knew she had been lying the moment he stepped into her house and asked for the boy.

_ The Way It Should Have Been_

Harry had been lying inside his cupboard; it was a Saturday and Dudley and his friends had been in a vicious mood that morning, making Harry who had been out, trying to enjoy the bright sunshine, seek the sanctuary of his cupboard instead. He had been fuming for some time, before he fell back onto his little cot, wondering why he had to be subjected to this, when all other kids were so happy. He had been brooding, when he heard Dumbledore's voice and he had been shocked and not a little scared when he heard someone was there for him.

For a wild moment he had been terrified his Aunt was planning to send him off to an orphanage and this man was there because of that. It took some time for him to realize that his Aunt was in fact saying he was not at home, when she very well knew he was in his cupboard; she had yelled at him only an hour back.

Then the stranger said something that made Harry's heart stop; he wanted to take Harry away and Aunt Petunia had not responded or sounded gleeful about it. He frowned, wondering why it looked as if she wanted to keep him, when he knew she didn't want him. No one did; he knew that. Then another thought stuck Harry, and little heart started thumping wildly. Perhaps, perhaps, it was a relative, who wanted to take him away, as he had dreamt all along. His heart in his mouth, Harry peeped out to see the strangest man he'd ever seen in his life.

_ The Way It Should Have Been_

Dumbledore smiled widely and repeated his greeting. "Hello Harry!" he said gently. "Do you wonder how I recognised you?" seeing Harry's wide eyes, Dumbledore smiled softly at him once again. "You look just like your father, Harry, but you have your mother's eyes."

Harry gasped. He almost hit his head in hurry to leave his cupboard and go to the strange man. "You knew my parents?" he asked hurriedly.

"Of course I did Harry."

"You know my name."

"Of course I do. I was there when you were named after all."

Harry gaped. He had a million questions for this strange man, but at that moment none would come out. Dumbledore on his part cringed at the sight of Harry Potter. He looked like a five year old, maybe even younger, thin and pale. Dumbledore swallowed his emotions and smiled gently at the boy he had come to take away. A moment later he turned to Petunia and said, "Harry will need to come here for a month every year to charge the wards that will protect him and your family, until he is seventeen. I will bring him back next year for a month and I hope by then, you will have had the time to prepare," here the room's temperature dipped by an alarming 20 degrees Celsius to become almost freezing as Dumbledore continued in a frigid tone, almost making Petunia petrified with fear, "another room for little Harry here."

She nodded frantically and Harry was impressed. Any man, who could scare his Aunt so, was a good man in his book. He looked up at the stranger liking everything he said and did, expect the part where he said he had to return to this place again, from wherever he was going. He also said something about wards, whatever they were.

"I will also ensure that someone is with him here all the time, perhaps a house elf," he muttered to himself, ignoring Petunia Dursley's small shriek and then added in apparent ignorance of her alarm, 'Or a goblin. Hmm ... let me see."

Petunia Dursley tried to say something, anything, but her mouth would not move as her eyes fixed themselves in horror at the old man. Harry in the meantime wondered what a house elf was; he had a vague idea about goblins, but he was not sure whether the old man had been joking, though to see his aunt, the old man was terribly serious. Harry was confused.

"That won't be necessary." She squeaked. Dumbledore ignored her.

"Come along Harry! It's time we were off."

_ The Way It Should Have Been_

Harry was dumbfounded. On one hand he desperately wanted to go with the old man. On the other hand, he was scared, very scared indeed. What if all this was an act and he was really being taken to an orphanage. So when the old man held out a hand and asked him to go away with him, Harry took a step back. Uncle Vernon always told him that he should have been shunted off to the orphanage and it would be good riddance. This man claimed to know his parents and said that he was even present even when Harry was born. If that were true, then why was Harry in a cupboard all these years bullied by the Dursleys. Suddenly Harry knew without a doubt he was being sent away to an orphanage.

He turned to his Aunt, ignoring her terrified and puzzled look and said softly, "Aunt Petunia, are you sending me away? Is he taking me to an orphanage like Uncle Vernon always said? I'm sorry for whatever I did. I'll behave better, honest. Don't send me away, please," he stopped there unable to go on, his green eyes desperate and huge on his little face, trying his best not to cry.

Dumbledore's heart clenched as he heard the child appeal to his Aunt. Merlin, he thought, Harry had been threatened with being sent away and he thought that he was being taken away to an orphanage. He went to Harry and knelt down and drew the reluctant and frightened boy close to him.

"I promise Harry, I am not taking you to an orphanage. I left you here with your Aunt, because I thought she would take good care of you, her sister's son. I came today to see how you were and I realize that you are not how I expected you to be. Since I left you here and that was my mistake, I now wish to undo that, by taking you away. I'm going to take you to where your parents lie and then I'll take you to where I live. I am a Headmaster of a large School Harry and you'll have not just me, but other teachers to take care of you. I promise Harry, no orphanage. Will you trust me?" he asked, knowing in his heart that he did not deserve the trust Harry had placed in him the last time; he had made so many mistakes. Not any more he decided rather ferociously as he thought of all this child had gone through, because, he in his infinite wisdom had thought this would be really home to Lily's child. How mistaken he had been and he wondered very guiltily how much Harry had suffered the first time.

Harry looked desperately at his Aunt and then at the old man. He knew he had no choice. He bent his head, still unable to believe that anyone wanted him and he was sure he was being taken to an orphanage, but unable to do anything about it. He stifled a sob and walked slowly to Dumbledore and placed his tiny hand into Dumbledore's ancient one. Dumbledore picked him up, scowling at how little Harry weighed, but Harry did not notice that as he was looking down. The next second Harry felt as if he was being squeezed into a tube and he quickly closed his eyes, even as he heard his Aunt starting to scream.

A mere second later Harry was set down and he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. They were by a small but beautiful church in what looked like a small, sleepy village. There was no one around them and Harry looked up at Dumbledore in confusion.

"Come!" Dumbledore told him with a small smile and led him by the hand through the gate into what Harry understood was a cemetery. They walked through the graves and soon Dumbledore stood in front of two graves that looked very new, compared to the other graves, some of which looked very old indeed.

"Can you read Harry?" he asked the small boy, before whipping out his wand and conjuring two bouquets; one of the palest pink lilies and the other a mixture of deep red and gold roses.

Harry stared wide eyed at what Dumbledore had done, but being asked the same question again, nodded his head, his eyes still staring at the lilies and roses that had appeared magically.

"Read what's written on this tomb then." Dumbledore told him and Harry reluctantly turned his attention to the white tomb on his right.

"Lily Potter!" he whispered, and stood straight as he realized who this could be. There were some more words written, but he could not read them, because the tears in his eyes were blocking his vision. He tried to control himself, but could not and a huge sob emerged from his very soul it seemed; then, it was hard to stop the flood. He sobbed for her and for himself.

He did not notice Dumbledore lifting him up, as he continued to cry and Dumbledore held him tightly, silently, as he allowed the small boy to cry, tears falling from his own eyes at Harry's anguish. It took some time, before Harry stopped and then he slowly clambered down, before he knelt by the tomb and laid his head on his mother's tomb. After a long time, he lifted his head, kissed the tomb, stood up and looked at the other tomb. James Potter, it read. Harry patted it softly, bent down and kissed it and looked up at Dumbledore, before looking at the flowers in his hand. Dumbledore handed him the lilies and he placed them gently and carefully on his mother's tomb, before taking the red and gold roses and placed them carefully on his father's tomb. He wiped his eyes and looked up at Dumbledore.

"Can we come here again, Sir?" he asked in a whisper.

"Anytime you want to, Harry."

"Shall we leave now? I'm sure you're hungry." Harry blushed and looked down. "What did you have for breakfast today morning?"

Harry blushed even more. "I missed breakfast Sir." He said softly, looking at his shoes.

Dumbledore scowled. "Well then, it's time for food. Come on Harry." And picking him up, Dumbledore cast a notice-me-not charm on both of them and apparated to the small pub in Godric's Hollow. He removed the charm and they walked in and Dumbledore ordered some food for both of them. Harry seemed unable to believe that he had a whole plateful and Dumbledore realized he wanted to punish the Dursleys for their attitude towards Harry. He realized more than ever what a mistake he had made, when he placed Harry with them all those years ago. Once Harry had finished, they walked out and Dumbledore debated for a minute whether he should take Harry to his home in Godric's Hollow, but decided that he would do it later. Harry was already emotionally spent and huge changes had been taking place in his life that day and there was no need to make him view the place where his parents had been murdered.

He picked up Harry, who was too tired to object and apparated to the Hogwarts, directly to his office. Harry was almost asleep, and Dumbledore took him into his quarters and put him down on to his bed and transfigured his oversized clothes into pyjamas. Though it was still afternoon, Harry was fast asleep, not even registering the fact he had been changed into nightclothes that fit him.

Dumbledore looked at him in sorrow, and then shaking himself, he snapped his fingers.

"What can Snappy dos for you?" a small elf asked him, before his eyes widened as they saw Harry.

Dumbledore smiled. "If you can create a small room, off my sitting room, for dear Harry, Snappy, that would be most helpful. Not too small though." He added even as Snappy snapped his fingers. "Yes, not too small, Professor Dumblydore Sir. A nice room for the Great Wizard Harry Potter Sir." He squeaked, before popping off.

Dumbledore set up a charm that would tell him, the moment Harry woke up and then walked to his office, before settling down in front of the fire. Opening the floo to various shops in Diagon Alley, Dumbledore spent the next couple of hours buying various things that perplexed the shopkeepers no end, but no one asked him any questions. He was Albus Dumbledore after all, and while he was slightly barmy, he was considered a great wizard by most. He enjoyed purchasing various items, he hoped Harry would like, and then, just as he was closing the floo after his last purchase, the monitoring charm went off. Dumbledore called Snappy, handing over the purchases to him to put in the small boy's bedroom, before he went to his own bedroom, where Harry was sitting up looking lost and very frightened.

"Good evening Harry." Dumbledore beamed. "Hungry?"

Harry's eyes went wide with disbelief. "But I already ate Sir!" he exclaimed before he stopped himself, going red. He knew to be expected to be fed only once a day and that too scraps was not the right thing for families to do, and he did not want to sound like a wuss to the old man, who had been so kind to him. Though Harry was not sure where he was. Wherever it was Harry hoped it was not an orphanage.

Dumbledore's happy expression turned grim and it was with effort he controlled himself, lest Harry be scared of his anger. The little boy would think it was his fault and that was the last thing Dumbledore wanted him to feel. He smiled gently.

"My child, you'll have three full meals a day from this day on, with additional snacks if you feel a need to nibble. So don't worry." He snapped his fingers and Snappy popped in with a tray of the most delicate cakes, tea for Dumbledore and a tall glass of milk for Harry.

"What's that?" Harry asked frightened once again.

"This is Snappy. He is a house elf. I'll explain all about them later. Now, go on, drink your milk and have some cakes if you like." Dumbledore encouraged him and helped himself to a cake.

"Thank you Snappy." Harry whispered and his eyes widened when Snappy's eyes filled with tears about the 'Great Wizard Harry Potter Sir' and how he was so kind.

Dumbledore beamed, and then his eyes grew sad. It was a miracle that Harry turned out the way he did, when he had been treated worse than an abused house elf. Well no more, he thought as he watched Harry drink the glass of milk and then looking at him, taking a small piece of cake from the cake stand.

Once they'd finished, Dumbledore led him to the room Snappy had prepared and told Harry that from then on this would be his room. He was rewarded by Harry's wide eyed look and his first grin. "This is mine? My room?" he asked in wonder and when Dumbledore told him yes, indeed it was his, Harry ran to him and hugged him, before backing off shyly. "Thank you Sir."

'You're welcome Harry." Dumbledore beamed and then they had a wonderful time unwrapping all the things he'd got for Harry and Dumbledore delighted in Harry's expressions and disbelief that he could go from owning nothing except Dudley's old things to having so many toys, clothes, games and everything.

_The Way It Should Have Been_

It was now a week since Harry had been rescued from the Dursleys and by now all Professors were aware of his arrival in the castle. McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout were very happy to see him and they spent most of their free time teaching him basics of the Wizarding World and talking to him about his parents. Initially Harry had been overwhelmed, but soon he settled down happily, especially, once when he knew none of his punishments would mean returning back to the Dursleys or starving. He had also been checked by Madam Pomphrey and was on a strict potions regiment prepared by Snape.

Snape was a different case, though. He had been shocked when Dumbledore told the Staff what happened, and he met the boy with all the other Professors, when Dumbledore brought Harry to the Great Hall to introduce him. Snape, seeing the child had become oddly silent and later on, he had quizzed the Headmaster about Harry's home life in greater detail. Dumbledore had not withheld anything and Snape had listened silently and had left.

Slowly he came to visit Harry when the other Professors were busy and brusquely started teaching him potions and told him about his mother. Harry fell in love with both subjects and Snape became an object of awe because he had been best friends with Lily Potter.

_ The Way It Should Have Been_

Once some time had gone by and Dumbledore was confident, he could leave Harry with Snappy and the other elves, with the Professors supervising, whenever they had time, since School had started, he turned to other things. First he went to the DMLE and met with Amelia Bones.

"What can I do for you Albus?" asked the formidable witch with some surprise.

"I have come on behalf of Harry Potter, Amelia. I took him, not recently to the graves of his parents and watched him sob his heart out and I wanted to know the reason why Black had betrayed his best friend. Dorea Black-Potter took Black in when he had no one and I wondered if I could get some information out of him."

Amelia Bones was not a fool. She looked at Dumbledore for a long moment. "You want to reopen his case?"

"He never received a trial." Came the bland answer.

"WHAT?!" Amelia was predictably shocked.

"He was laughing, Cornelius told me; he was saying that it was all his fault; Cornelius, you know, was one of the first on the scene and I felt a hatred inside me when I heard that; when I heard Black laughing at the deaths of people who stood by him no matter what. I offered to be their secret-keeper and yet James told me that he trusted Black, he swore on his magic Black would never betray him and his family." Dumbledore heaved another sigh. "So, when I heard reports of Black laughing, I'm afraid I allowed my emotions to get to me and I agreed with Crouch that the sooner Black as in Azkaban, the more he'd pay. And he was thrown in Azkaban that very night, where he remains to this day."

"I'm supposed to believe this and give you permission to ask questions of Black, after what, six years? Do you take me for a fool, Albus?" she snorted.

"Ah, yes?" he said and then added hastily, "Yes, to the point that you give me permission to question Black, better still, give him a public trial and ask him questions? No, of course not Amelia, I don't take for a fool; I'd be a fool to do that. But, I would like that trial. I'll owe you one."

Amelia Bones was flabbergasted. Albus Dumbledore owe her one. She almost salivated as the thought. The things she could get done. Then she looked at him and scowled as she saw him smiling at her, reading plainly in her face.

"What if I refuse permission?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I hope you won't. I'll get that trial one way or another, but this way, I'll owe you one."

"Why? Tell me honestly, it will never leave this office and I'll give you that trial. You can do this for the thing you owe me. This is big Albus. You know that. This involves Harry Potter and the uproar it will create and the fall out of this, if this goes wrong will be huge and these things have a way of going wrong and out of control. So if I'm to help you and I will, but I need to know why."

Dumbledore was silent for a along time. Then he whipped out his wand and placed some obscure wards around both of them.

"He is innocent."

"WHAT?!" She couldn't help it; she shrieked.

"He is innocent Amelia." Dumbledore said heavily. "I want to correct a huge mistake and I'm using little Harry's name; he doesn't know about this of course, but the moment I knew, I could not keep this waiting. An innocent man has been languishing in Azkaban because he felt he failed his friend, his brother, by suggesting at the last moment that the Potters go with another secret keeper, and he would be the decoy. Amelia, he was willing to be the decoy and willing to die by torture if he was caught, just so the Potters could be safe; so they told no one, except the secret keeper, who was the one who betrayed the Potters. Since I did not know of the switch, I along with everyone believed him to be the secret keeper."

Amelia Bones was silent for a long time, looking down at her desk. Slowly, she lifted her head. "And you have proof of course of this?"

"Even if I did not, Sirius will prove his innocence under Veritaserum. But I do have proof." And Albus Dumbledore reached into his pocket and brought out a stunned rat. It was a grey fat ray, which had one of its toes missing.

Amelia Bones looked at it for a minute in disbelief, before her brain caught up to her. "An Animagus." She breathed softly. "Who is it?"

"Peter Pettigrew." Dumbledore's voice grew harsh with anger. He set the stunned rat on a chair next to him, and cast the spell to force change him into a human. Amelia could not help the scream when she saw a dead man, sleeping peacefully. Dumbledore cast another spell, which Amelia recognised was the one to stop the Animagus transformation and then binding him tightly in strong, thin ropes, Dumbledore enervated him.

Peter predictably started squeaking when he woke up and found himself in the presence of Bones and Dumbledore instead of being in the cage with Percy Weasley.

"Where did you find him?" Amelia Bones asked Dumbledore. Peter stopped his squeaking for a second. He was also interested in that answer. He had thought he was safe.

"I saw him in Hogwarts, Amelia. While there are no anti Animagus wards around the castle, since many teachers over the years have been Animagus, the wards nevertheless tell me if there is a transformation in a wrong place. Like for example, I'll know if Minerva had transformed either into a cat or from a cat in the boys bathroom or in another teacher's quarters at the wrong time. I did sense a transformation in the boys bathroom last term, and while at that time I registered it, I never looked into it properly. I forgot, I must say to my shame; it was not until the holidays I remembered and then I asked the castle, and she was quite helpful. Then, it was a simple matter of waiting until School reopened."

Amelia looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. "That's your story?" she asked him. "It stinks."

Dumbledore inclined his head. "The truth often is unbelievable," he started on what looked to be another lengthy explanation of meaningless platitudes and Amelia stopped him. She took a deep breath and turned to Pettigrew, knowing she would not get another sane word from Dumbledore.

"You belonged to Percy Weasley?" she asked the rat.

He squeaked.

Dumbledore twinkled.

Another thought stuck Amelia and turned in shock. "I can't believe Arthur," she started and Dumbledore stopped her right there. "Arthur has no clue and neither does Percy. You really don't think they'd cuddle him and feed him and let him sleep by their side. He was responsible for many deaths Amelia, not just the Potters, whom he betrayed in cold blood." Dumbledore's voice turned frigid. "Gideon and Fabian. You remember them. Peter has been passing valuable information about almost all members of the Order, which probably led to their deaths." He finished with an uncharacteristic scowl.

Amelia now turned incredulous eyes to him. "You admit there's an Order?"

He shrugged again.

She glared at him in an exasperated way and turned to her cabinet. She turned back holding a bottle of Veritaserum and Peter squeaked more.

_The Way It Should Have Been_

Sirius Black was led from his prison by two Aurors. Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mad-Eye Moody was a veteran, while Kingsley was a young recruit, who was nevertheless capable and efficient.

Sirius was predictably bewildered. "Has someone caught Peter?" he asked. Moody's lips tightened and he scowled, suddenly understanding why Sirius had been dragged out of Azkaban. The Aurors had not been told anything and Moody and Shacklebolt cringed with the thought an innocent man could have been languishing in that dreadful place all these years. They kept silent and led him to the courtroom, the same one that Harry had been tried so far in the future. He was questioned under Veritaserum and was proclaimed innocent. He understood everything, when he sat down by Dumbledore and watched the trial of Peter Pettigrew which followed his own. He left with Dumbledore, when Peter's Animagus powers were bound and he was sent to the same cell where Sirius had been all these years.

Dumbledore took Sirius to the Hogwarts infirmary and there Sirius recovered somewhat after rest, potions, food and a better environment than his previous home. Dumbledore then took him to meet Harry, who was jumping in excitement at the thought of meeting his Godfather. Dumbledore also cautioned Sirius that all Professors had access to Harry and he was on friendly terms with Snape. Sirius had been astounded at first and then outraged, but Dumbledore had remained firm, and Sirius had had to reluctantly agree, though he decided he would subtly turn Harry's attention away from Snape. He did not know that task would prove to be impossible.

_The Way It Should Have Been_

Dumbledore then turned his attention towards the Horcruxes. Harry was by then a happy child, on his way to forgetting his life with the Dursleys. He took the help of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. He went to the cave and secured the Locket, after drinking the potion; he deemed it his punishment for his sister; the Locket however showed that someone called RAB had already secured it; once he was back to normal health, it took him no time to translate RAB into Regulus Arcturus Black. Enlisting Sirius's help, he went to Grimmauld Place, placed it once again under the Fidelus, so that Harry could in the future spend some time with Sirius, asked Sirius to call Kreacher, to search for the Locket in the ancient Black home. That, to Dumbledore's surprise, revealed a story about Regulus's courage. A greateful and weeping elf watched, Dumbledore destroyed the Locket, with his knowledge of Parseltongue and Fiendfyre.

Back in Hogwarts, Dumbledore called the elves and asked them to search for any Dark and Malevolent objects and bring it to him. It took a week, but the Diadem of Ravenclaw was in his hands. Destroying that, he went to the Gaunts Shack with the Flamels, telling them that under no condition were they to allow him to put the Ring on his finger or theirs. It was the toughest Horcrux he destroyed, he almost put the Ring on once again and it was the timely actions of Nicholas that stopped him. Thanking him, Dumbledore picked up the cracked Ring sombrely and after a long look, put it in his pocket. He would do the rest in private.

He had destroyed the Ring, Diadem, Locket and now it was time to go after the Diary. Dumbledore called for Lucius Malfoy.

"What is it Dumbledore?" Lucius sneered, his right hand stiffening on his cane as he strode arrogantly into the Headmaster's Office.

"Sit down, sit down Lucius!" Dumbledore was at him most amicable self.

Lucius hesitated sensing a trap; he sat down and looked at Dumbledore cautiously. "What was so important that you needed me at once?"

"I want the Diary Lord Voldemort left in your custody. And I want to know if he gave other Death Eaters anything like the Diary? Some special artifacts of the Founders or anything of his to keep safe?"" Dumbledore replied baldly.

Lucius froze in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about." He hissed and stood up, about to storm out trembling in fear about Dumbledore's knowledge.

"I will open your case publicly and ensure you're in Azkaban by tomorrow. I'm sure Amelia will co-operate to the fullest with me. Of course," Dumbledore rambled on smiling at a horrified Lucius Malfoy, "you can try to flee, but then I'll ensure you never step inside Britain again and that you'll be a fugitive all your life, wherever you go."

Lucius Malfoy was stunned and horrified and not a little outraged. He had never seen Dumbledore so blunt and threatening. It was so far outside of how Dumbledore behaved, it was ludicrous. But he knew that Dumbledore meant every word. Lucius Malfoy grit his teeth; how on earth did the old man even know about the Diary.

"And while we're at this," Dumbledore broke into his thoughts, "I would also like you to give me your elf Dobby. You do have an elf like that Malfoy?"

"Dobby told you?" he breathed; he was going to kill that elf.

"I promise you that in this life I have not seen your elf Dobby. However I would like him for myself. So in about half an hour I expect you to come with both the Diary and Dobby. In return I will protect you from the fallout of this with Lord Voldemort, if that should occur." To Lucius Malfoy's outrage, astonishment and sheer disbelief, Dumbledore pulled out some paperwork and started writing on it.

He, Lucius Malfoy was being dismissed; how dare Dumbledore and yet he was scared; terribly scared. How on earth did Dumbledore know what the Dark Lord had left with him? How could he give it to Dumbledore? The Dark Lord would kill him, Draco and Narcissa if he came to know this and yet, what choice did he have?

"You're still here!" Dumbledore looked up in surprise. "You have half an hour Lucius. Tick tock, the time is running. You don't want to leave the Manor and be on the run for the rest of your life do you? At the end of half an hour I'll be opening the floo to Amelia."

Lucius glared at him, wondering if he could get away with killing Dumbledore.

"I wouldn't try it. Then, I will have to defeat you, arrest you, impound your home, take the Diary, ..."

"Wait damn it." Lucius bit out.

"Dobby!" he bellowed. A pathetic looking elf came popping in. "Master calls Dobby? What can Dobby do for Master?"

"Bring the old Diary that is in the hidden room on the top shelf"

Dobby shivered. That Diary was so evil, but he could not refuse a direct order and in a few seconds he was back holding the Diary gingerly. He handed it with some relief to Malfoy, who all but threw it to Dumbledore. Dumbledore cast some charms on it, confirmed it to be the earliest Horcrux and turned to Lucius Malfoy.

"I give you Dobby to Dumbledore. He is your Master now. Here." And Lucius Malfoy threw a glove at him and looked hatefully at Dumbledore.

"Thank you." Dumbledore said quietly.

Lucius hated himself for the next words he would speak, but he had to ask, for Draco's sake. "You'll protect .."

"Of course I will. You have my word Lucius. And I won't say a word about this to anyone. Thank you Lucius." He stood up and offered his hand and Lucius Malfoy shook it briefly, helplessly. What else could you do to someone who held all the cards?

He turned to leave, when Dumbledore called out once again. "Did Lord Voldemort give anything like the Diary to other Death Eaters Lucius? You didn't say anything about that."

Lucius hesitated. Then he gave a small shrug. "He gave a Cup to Bellatrix. But," He smirked. "It's in her vault."

The moment he was gone, Dumbledore turned to Dobby and smiled. "Dobby, I want you to bond with a young wizard, but I'll understand if you want to be free. The wizard's name is Harry Potter."

A minute later Dumbledore started laughing at Dobby's antics. The little injured elf was jumping up and down shouting "Bond, Professor Dumblydore! Bond with the Greatest Wizard, Master Harry Potter Sir!" over and over again.

The next day Dumbledore went to Azkaban and met with Bellatrix. He had a letter with him on which he needed her signature.

He gently cast a very mild compulsion charm, and held out the paper to her. Blindly, she signed it and gave it back to him. Removing the compulsion, he walked out, apparated to the Diagon Alley apparition point and walked briskly to Gringotts. Handing over the letter, he went down to the Vault and watched as the Goblins opened it; his eyes immediately lit upon a small Cup sitting in a corder all by itself. A minute later he was enjoying the cart ride to the top and half an hour later another Horcrux was gone.

The next day Dumbledore took stock of what he had achieved; he had destroyed the Diary, Cup, Locket, Ring and Diadem. The other two right now was Voldemort's spirit and Harry's scar. Nagini, he was sure was not yet a Horcrux. He relaxed; there was nothing else to do until Harry started Hogwarts and Quirrell came hosting his Lord.

And so Dumbledore set out to enjoy his life, given to him again. He spent a lot of time with little Harry, taught him all that he could, and most of all enjoyed watching him happy and carefree. He introduced Harry to the Weasleys and watched joyously as Harry learnt Quidditch. He took Harry to Quidditch games and also taught him Muggle games and kept up with Harry's Muggle studies. He wanted this Harry to explore and learn all that he could and wanted to, and reach his potential and stretch himself. To his delight, Harry did not disappoint.

Soon Harry was 11 years old and received his Hogwarts letter at Hogwarts itself. While Sirius had official custody and wanted Harry to live with him, Harry had somehow latched on to Dumbledore and refused to leave him and go anywhere. Dumbledore knew that he had latched on to Harry too, and he finally felt at peace with himself. He had spoken to Ariana; he had called Aberforth to speak with her as well, and now he could say he was beginning a new, positive relationship with his brother. He had introduced Harry, and later Sirius to James and Lily and after that Harry and Sirius had started healing too. There were a lot of tears, but as Dumbledore knew they were good tears; healing tears.

Harry went to Sirius's, who still lived at a transformed by a grateful Kreacher Grimmauld Place for 'holidays', but like himself, Severus and most of the other staff, Hogwarts was truly Harry's home. Yes, thought Dumbledore everything had played out well. He had even captured Barty Crouch Jr. by another compulsion on Barty Crouch Sr; who surrendered himself and his son to the Ministry. There had been a huge outrage, but it had all blown over when father and son had been condemned to the Dementor's Kiss. Dumbledore had not liked it, but the public would accept nothing less. That also had the positive side effect of more closer scrutiny under Veritaserum for the other pardoned Death Eaters and many like McNair and Rookwood had been caught and sentenced to Azkaban. Dumbledore had come through for Lucius Malfoy, declaring him to be the spy for the Light and Malfoy himself was never so relieved of that protection. It was well worth the Diary and Dobby he quietly admitted to himself.

_ The Way It Should Have Been_

And now Dumbledore was nearly at the end of ending the war with Voldemort. He accepted Quirrell's application, and once again with Flamel's help, he brought the Stone to Hogwarts. Once School started, and Harry was sorted, into Gryffindor again, Dumbledore checked Quirrell and found that he was indeed hosting Voldemort. He went to meet Quirrell one day on the pretext of discussing the protection on the Stone.

"Well, Hea..Headmaster," stuttered Quirell. And after that he knew no more. Dumbledore stunned him and immediately captured Voldemort's unfortunate spirit into a small jar and took him out to the Flamels. "There you are Nick." He said removing the jar and the Stone. Nicholas carefully took the jar of Voldemort and the Stone, which he threw to his wife, into her safe keeping. And, that was that.

Dumbledore forgot about the problem that was Voldemort after that. He watched happily as Harry grew up to the person he would have been if he had his parents around, perhaps Dumbledore mused, that Harry was even better now, since he had the best of all worlds, a balance that worked perfectly for him.

Many, many, many years later, much after Dumbledore crossed over to the other side, Harry who'd lived a full life, died surrounded by his great-great grandchildren, and the bit of soul that was inside him also died. The moment Nicholas knew of Harry's death, he sent the spirit of Voldemort on its way to the Other World, and finally Voldemort was vanquished. The Wizarding World – well it was always at peace after that frightful Halloween, when two brave people died for their only son, who ended the war with Voldemort, by becoming the Boy-Who-Lived.

_** End**_


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